Full-time: Crewe Alex 1 Scunthorpe United 0

SUBSTITUTE AJ Leitch-Smith grabbed the only goal of the game 15 minutes from time at Gresty Road on Saturday.

SUBSTITUTE AJ Leitch-Smith grabbed the only goal of the game 15 minutes from time at Gresty Road on Saturday.

The striker came off the bench to slot home a 75th minute winner after Luke Murphy’s penalty was saved.

Crewe can count themselves lucky to have beaten a plucky Scunthorpe outfit who were arguably the better side on the day.

But the three points, their first League One win since New Year’s Day, took them to 43 points – just five off the play-offs – and up to 12th in the table.

Matt Tootle was recalled to the Crewe Alex starting line-up. The fit-again full-back dislodged Jon Guthrie in the only change to the Crewe team.

United, who started the game in the League One drop-zone but are unbeaten in 2013, fielded strikers Akpo Sodje and Karl Hawley and former Crewe target Callum Kennedy in defence.

But defender Harry Davis started the game with a toe damaged by a collision with team-mate Tootle in the warm-up.

Max Clayton saw a shot blocked in the opening seconds, while Brian Laws’ United side went close after four minutes when Andy Barcham got the better of Kelvin Mellor and hit the outside of the post.

Captain Luke Murphy found Clayton and the young striker found the Brad Inman who curled just wide.

Keeper Steve Phillips reacted superbly when Davis accidentally deflected a Scunthorpe cross goalwards. The veteran custodian’s reactions were lighting fast as he dived to claw the ball away from the bottom corner.

United striker Akpo Sodje should have done better with a free header in the box but it was well over and, just before the break, the same player nodded another good chance over following a corner.

Murphy appeared determined to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and he led by example after the restart. His excellent cross only just missed the head of Clayton and he was involved in the build-up before Clayton crossed and Mathias Pogba scored only for it to be ruled out for offside.

But Scunthorpe slowly got on top with Sodje flicking another header just wide of the mark and Karl Hawley shot a yard wide.

Davis eventually succumbed to his toe problem and was replaced by Mark Ellis.

Sodje missed another sitter, blasting over from close range, as Crewe lived dangerously.

In a bid to turn the tide Steve Davis introduced forwards Leitch-Smith and Ryan Colclough in place of Clayton and Pogba.

And it soon paid off. Abdul Osman’s deep cross was too high for Byron Moore but he was needlessly pushed in the back by Tom Newey and the referee pointed to the spot.

Murphy struck the spot-kick hard at the bottom-right corner but keeper Sam Slocombe brilliantly pushed it onto the post.

But alert Leitch-Smith reacted quickest to tuck home the rebound for his first goal since September 15, and fifth of the season.

Laws threw on Mike Grella and Matt Godden to mix-up his forward line and a promising late run from Grella saw him whip in a good cross but Phillips claimed it.

To their credit Crewe saw the game out with little drama. In fact, they went closest to adding to the scoresheet when Murphy drilled a shot at Slocombe and Mellor also had an effort.

The Editor

Michael Green

Michael Green is the Executive Editor for Trinity Mirror's titles across Cheshire. An experienced journalist he has been working in the group for more than two decades holding pretty much every newsroom position you could wish to name. Passionate about Chester and Cheshire, outside of work you will often find Michael taking in the arts. You can also hear him regularly on Thursday mornings taking through the newspapers on Chester's Dee 106.3